How Proposed SSDI Changes May Impact Rural People with Disabilities
February 19, 2020
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| SSA Offices Map from "The Conversation" |
Project Director Lillie Greiman and RTC:Rural Director Dr. Catherine Ipsen recently co-authored an article in The Conversation about proposed changes to disability benefits and how those could make it harder for people with disabilities, especially those in rural communities, to maintain federal benefits.
Read the article here:
February 7, 2020: How Trump's proposed benefits changes will create hardship for rural people with disabilities
From the article:
"The need to travel to a Social Security office or court can be a barrier for people who lack access to transportation. People with disabilities living in rural areas frequently report that limited access to transportation prevents them from getting a job, accessing health care and participating in recreation.
These issues are exacerbated for the more than 9 million people with disabilities who live in counties without Social Security offices. In fact, our analysis shows that 25% of all SSDI beneficiaries - over 2 million people - live in a county without a Social Security office. Of these, over half live in rural counties."
Read this article and more on The Conversation website.
In the news:
This research was also featured in a February 10 news story on Public News Service. Listen to and read the article here: Benefits Change Would Hit Rural Montanans with Disabilities Hardest
Other RTC:Rural articles in The Conversation:
- March 16, 2017: Six charts that illustrate the divide between rural and urban America
- January 28, 2019: Rural people with disabilities are still struggling to recover from the recession
